[blparent] [Bulk] "General public" and their impressions
trishs
slosser at metrocast.net
Tue Jun 9 11:41:07 UTC 2009
Unless and until a social worker actually takes your baby from
you, this is ignorants, not discrimination.
I believe that any one dealing with the public should avail
themselves of a Handicapped Awareness 101 course.
> ----- Original Message -----
>From: "Eileen Levin" <eileenlevin at comcast.net
>To: "'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'" <blparent at nfbnet.org
>Date sent: Sat, 6 Jun 2009 16:14:44 -0400
>Subject: Re: [blparent] [Bulk] "General public" and their
impressions
>Like JoElizabeth my sighted husband was there and we received no
visit from
>a social worker at all. I hadn't taken any classes, asked to
leave the day
>after my son was born, and the staff all seemed to be directing
their
>lessons to my extremely anxious sighted husband. The staff's
tendancy to
>ignore me while teaching my husband never meant anything to me
since I
>already knew how to change a diaper and bathe a baby from helping
my mother
>with my two younger sisters. I think there was a note posted on
my door from
>the staff about my blindness which my husband questioned as soon
as he saw
>it.
>So, is there discrimination? From all this anecdotal evidence it
appears the
>answer is YES YES and YES.
>Eileen
>-----Original Message-----
>From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org
[mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>Behalf Of Jo Elizabeth Pinto
>Sent: Saturday, June 06, 2009 12:56 PM
>To: NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List
>Subject: Re: [blparent] [Bulk] "General public" and their
impressions
>I was lucky enough not to get much interference from social
workers when
>Sarah was born. I don't know if it was because her sighted
father was there
>most of the time or what. There was a doctor who asked if I
would have help
>at home. I said yes, and he didn't ask any more questions.
(Personally, I
>think whether there will be help is a valid question for any new
mom,
>sighted or blind, especially now that I've been through the
newborn phase
>myself.) Nobody asked me if I had everything ready for the baby,
which I
>did, and the nurses spent a lot of time trying to help me get
nursing
>established, with no comment about my blindness. The only social
worker I
>saw asked me about financial issues, but Gerald and I made too
much to
>qualify for the hospital's sliding scale. It was nice to have
such a
>positive experience at the hospital. I think part of the reason
everything
>went so well is that I took not only the childbirth classes, but
also the
>baby care and breastfeeding courses, and I had a tour of the
maternity ward
>and asked a lot of questions, so by the time I delivered my baby,
I was kind
>of a familiar face to many of the staff, and they knew I was
taking my new
>role as a mother seriously.
>Jo Elizabeth
>"Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be
changed
>until it is faced."--James Baldwin
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Melissa Ann Riccobono" <melissa at riccobono.us
>To: "'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'" <blparent at nfbnet.org
>Sent: Saturday, June 06, 2009 6:47 AM
>Subject: Re: [blparent] [Bulk] "General public" and their
impressions
>> It's interesting about hospital social workers. I actually was
lucky
>> enough
>> to have a good experience with the social worker who visited me
after
>> Austin
>> was born. She seemed to stick to standard questions. She did
ask if I
>> had
>> everything ready for the baby; actually she didn't quite put it
that way.
>> She asked if we had a crib or a bassinette, a car seat, etc. I
could hear
>> that she was taking notes and checking things off a list. The
hospital
>> where Austin was born often deals with high risk and very poor
moms and
>> dads, so I felt a lot of the questions were based on the fact
that so many
>> people who pass through really do need a lot more help and
services. I
>> was
>> also offered WIC. I don't know if this was standard or not, but
I just
>> said
>> I knew we made too much to qualify and I was left alone. The
person who
>> made me the most nervous was a doctor--not the one who delivered
>> Austin--who
>> kept asking if I had help at home, and if I thought I could
manage because
>> of my "handicap." Luckily, even though I was still in labor and
not in
>> the
>> best mood, I managed to answer him calmly and firmly and nothing
else was
>> said. Then there was this extremely annoying nurse who was
completely
>> thrilled because I could find the toilet paper in the bathroom
and I
>> "navigated so well!" She questioned my ability to nurse because
it's "a
>> very visual thing to know when the baby's mouth is open so you
can stick
>> the
>> nipple in. Are you really committed to nursing?" Thank
goodness I knew
>> my
>> sister, who is also blind, nursed three babies successfully, and
that I
>> was
>> committed to nursing unless there really was a reason I
couldn't--such as
>> my
>> body not making enough milk, or Austin really having
difficulties of some
>> other kind. So, I was firm on that point as well. It is
amazing though
>> simply how uneducated the public is! I love the people who ask
me if I
>> had
>> someone come in to "adapt" my house for the baby. Yes, there
are child
>> proofing companies and they are great if you want to use them,
but I think
>> it's crazy for people to believe that just because we're blind
we don't
>> know
>> what is dangerous for a baby or small child.
>> Melissa
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